Box Office Gold Rush - The Post Nomination Boosts

Okay, ready. This is a big post today. We're looking at everything in wide release (all 21 films) and their counterparts at the arthouse to see how the Oscar nominations affected the box office. 

Weekend Box Office (Actual) (January 25th-27th)
W I D E	PLATFORM / LIMITED
1 Glass $18.8 on 3844 screens (cum. $73.4)  Review	1 Uri: Surgical Street $630k on 132 screens (cum. $2.7)

2 The Upside   $11.9 on 3377 screens (cum. $62.8)	2 🔺 Cold War $571k on 111 screens (cum. $1.4) Review, Podcast, 13th Biggest Foreign Hit , Foreign Nominee ★

3 Aquaman $7.2 on 3134 screens (cum. $316.4) Review, Podcast, 6th Biggest Box Office Hit of 2018	3 🔺  Can You Ever Forgive Me? $246k on 235 screens (cum. $8.0) Review, Podcast, Best Actress, Supporting Actor ★

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Michel Legrand (1932-2019)

by Eric Blume

Michel Legrand in 1981French film composer Michel Legrand passed away this past weekend after six decades of work in the industry. He was truly one of the greats. Chief among his accomplishments was the sung-through score for the masterpiece The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), delivering music that soared and perfectly caught the melancholy tone of director Jacques Demy’s pastel/sad view of the world.  The Legrand-Demy collaboration was deliriously French and remains a pristine achievement over a half century later...

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Beauty vs Beast: Forgiveness Among Friends

Jason from MNPP here, right upfront with an apology for what I'm about to do to you all with this week's "Beauty vs Beast" -- unfortunately for all of us we've reached the "look at the movies that are being nominated for awards" part of the year which is forcing me, just forcing me, to make us all choose between the bitter besties of the perfect (if you ask me) Can You Ever Forgive Me? from director Marielle Heller.

Both Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. grant happily and deservedly secured Oscar nominations for their performances as the wrter Lee Israel and her partner-in-crime and bourbon Jack Hock, but for all their chumminess they're also often taking adversarial stances in the film, given the cobustiveness of both their characters. So even if we hate to bust up one of the greatest gay duos ever put on screen like this, we're still gonna ask...

bike trails

PREVIOUSLY Speaking of Awards Nominated Duos, last week's The Favourite bout crowned Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) by a pretty substantial margin. (3/4s of the vote, if you're wondering.) Said Roger:

"Team Sarah, no question. While this is Stone best performance to date, for me, it’s a tossup between Weisz and Colman for MVP. A tragic, deeply felt love story between Sarah and Queen Anne hides in plain sight. When it sneaks up on you in their final scene together between the door, it elevates what is already an entirely enjoyable film and recontextualiizes everything. Sarah was and always will be the favourite. Also, there is no doubt that all three are leading roles. I also share the belief that if the Oscar doesn’t go to King as I expect, Weisz wins her second."

That controversial ending to "The Favourite"

by Mark Brinkerhoff

Happy post-Oscar nominations week! Despite a fair amount of rubbish (*cough* Bohemian Rhapsody), the Academy has blessed The Favourite with a deservedly (co-)leading 10 nominations. Bravo! Well done. On that note, it’s high time we talk about the film’s—shall we say—polarizing ending. Are you ready? Let’s go… (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

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Would you rather?

Our dumb celebrity-gawking game to get your week off to a silly start. Would you rather...

... have a whiskey at a poetry reading with Martha Plimpton?
... wander the Universal sound stages with Jeff Goldblum?
... snake charm with Anya Taylor Joy?
... take in an art exhibit with Carla Gugino?
... play shadow games with Glenn Close?
... get piggy with Billy Magnussen?
... shop for tasty pastries with Kim Cattrall?
... wear mythological creatures with Juliette Binoche?
... take a drive to Sundance with Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, and Thomas Mann?
... pose on the red carpet with Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Patty Jenkins? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide!

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